Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recombinant eukaryotic cell comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a fumarate reductase and a process for the production of succinic acid wherein the recombinant eukaryotic cell is used.
Description of Related Art
Succinic acid is a potential precursor for numerous chemicals. For example, succinic acid can be converted into 1,4-butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran, and gamma-butyrolactone. Another product derived from succinic acid is a polyester polymer which is made by linking succinic acid and BDO.
Succinic acid is predominantly produced through petrochemical processes by hydrogenation of butane. These processes are considered harmful for the environment and costly. The fermentative production of succinic acid may be an attractive alternative process for the production of succinic acid, wherein renewable feedstock as a carbon source may be used.
A number of different bacteria such as Escherichia coli, and the rumen bacteria Actinobacillus, Anaerobiospirillum, Bacteroides, Mannheimia, or Succinimonas, sp. are known to produce succinic acid. Metabolic engineering of these bacterial strains have improved the succinic acid yield and/or productivity, or reduced the by-product formation. WO2007/061590 discloses a pyruvate decarboxylase negative yeast for the production of malic acid and/or succinic acid which is transformed with a pyruvate carboxylase enzyme or a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, a malate dehydrogenase enzyme, and a malic acid transporter protein (MAE). Despite the improvements that have been made in the fermentative production of succinic acid, there remains a need for improved microorganisms for the fermentative production of succinic acid.